LA Kings center Anze Kopitar, shown here during a recent practice
session, has scored just two goals in his last 33 games
(17 playoff games and 16 regular season games).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings are in Chicago, hours away from a win-or-go home Game 5 matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, who lead their best-of-seven Western Conference Final playoff series, 3-1.

The Blackhawks, even without their top defenseman, Duncan Keith (suspended), used their superior speed and surprisingly strong physical play to force the Kings into numerous turnovers and to keep Kings forwards on the perimeter throughout most of Game 4, a 3-2 Chicago victory that was not as close as the score might indicate.

Indeed, the disparity in quality scoring chances fell heavily in favor of the Blackhawks, who could have easily won this game by a two or three-goal margin, if not for the strong play of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, even though the Blackhawks’ first goal by forward Bryan Bickell was a soft goal.

Indeed, the day after falling victim to a high stick to the face, courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter has definitely looked better.

On the play, after Carter appeared to chop at Keith’s glove, which was down on the ice, as Keith was picking it up—Carter’s stick blade may have contacted Keith’s hand—Keith immediately responded by swinging his stick, with the blade striking Carter squarely in the mouth.

“We were battling in front of the net, up the ice,” said Carter. “I think I took a swing at his glove there, he was trying to pick it up. I was in front of him. Next thing I knew, I was getting a stick to the face.”

LOS ANGELES — With the Chicago Blackhawks winning the 2010 Stanley Cup on June 9, the 2009-10 National Hockey League season is over and attention now turns to the league’s annual awards, which will be presented at the Palms in Las Vegas on June 23.

Perhaps the most interesting race for the awards will be for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman during the regular season.

Green, 24, led all defenseman in goals, assists and points with 19 goals and 57 assists for 76 points. He ranked tenth league-wide in assists, led all defenseman with ten power play goals, ranked second among defensemen with a +39 plus/minus rating and was second among blue liners with four game-winning goals and ninth in time on ice per game (25:28). Read more of this post

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